Although Bear grew up in a hunting family, he did not start bow hunting until 1929. In fact, Bear said that after hunting with a rifle he was not all that interested in the sport – as there was not enough challenge in it.

When did Fred Bear start archery?

1933 “If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it”. Fred Bear started Bear Archery back in 1933 with the goal of making archery accessible to everyone. He was a man devoted to the outdoors that had a respect for nature and all things wild.

When did bear start making compound bows?

That friend is my first compound bow — a Bear Archery Alaskan 6-wheel model introduced in 1977.

Did Fred Bear shoot a compound bow?

As it turned out, these few photographs were the only official pictures ever taken of Fred Bear shooting a compound bow that were ever published. His was a snap-shooters style. He would rest the arrow on the knuckle of his right hand, not on an arrow rest, and as he drew the arrow back to full draw.